Publications by authors named "Vivi Schlunssen"

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to identify, evaluate, and synthesize the relation between ten potential occupational sensitizing exposure groups and asthma.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in three databases for peer-reviewed articles published between July 2011 and March 2023. Exposures included ten potential occupational sensitizing exposure groups (amines, anhydrides, biocides [eg, pesticides], crustaceans, enzymes, mammals, metals, "mold, fungi and yeast", molluscs, and other chemicals [eg, cleaning agents]) classified as having no or limited evidence of a causal relation with asthma in our previous overview of systematic reviews.

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Introduction: Outdoor workers are exposed to high levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). UVR causes skin cancer and is a risk factor for cataract and other short- and long-term health effects, but there are significant knowledge gaps regarding the exposure-response relations based on quantitative measures of UVR exposure. We developed a quantitative UVR job-exposure matrix (JEM) for the general working population of Europe.

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Endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and respiratory symptoms affect large numbers of women. A possible association between asthma and endometriosis has been suggested; however, this relationship is unclear. Dysmenorrhea is very common, and potential associations with asthma symptoms are not known.

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Background: Air pollution has been linked to respiratory diseases, while the effects of greenness remain inconclusive.

Objective: We investigated the associations between exposure to particulate matter (PM and PM), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO), ozone (O), and greenness (normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI) with respiratory emergency room visits and hospitalizations across seven Northern European centers in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) study.

Methods: We used modified mixed-effects Poisson regression to analyze associations of exposure in 1990, 2000 and mean exposure 1990-2000 with respiratory outcomes recorded duing ECRHS phases II and III.

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Aims: Exposure to air pollution including diesel engine exhaust (DEE) is associated with increased risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Few studies have investigated the risk of AMI according to occupational exposure to DEE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between occupational exposure to DEE and the risk of first-time AMI.

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Background: We aimed to develop a method for assessing occupational styrene exposures for application in epidemiological studies on risks of lymphohematopoietic neoplasms and other malignant and non-malignant diseases in the European and the US glass reinforced plastics industries.

Method: We estimated a linear mixed effects model based on individual airborne personal measurements of styrene from the glass reinforced plastics industry in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, UK, and the US. The most suitable model was chosen based on its predictive power as assessed using cross validation with different combinations of predictors; and by comparing their prediction errors.

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Objectives: This study aims to investigate (1) the microbial community composition by work characteristics and (2) the association between microbial genera level and inflammatory markers among recycling workers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, inhalable dust was collected with personal samplers from 49 production (86 samples) and 10 administrative workers (15 samples). Four groups of micro-organisms were identified down to species-level (aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, and fungi grown at 25°C and 37°C).

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Several buildings in a Danish social housing estate exceeded indoor air guidance values for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), leading to their demolition. Here, we conducted a biomonitoring study among the workers on-site (n = 24) to evaluate their exposure to all 209 PCBs across the two-year demolition. We compared their PCB serum concentrations and accumulation to those of demolition workers at other worksites (n = 21) and office workers (n = 17).

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Aim: The aim was to evaluate the role of insufficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk for healthcare workers (HCW) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Prospective study within the COBRA cohort, including 15,127 HCW. Daily assessment of insufficient use of PPE, defined as self-reported PPE failure or noncompliance, in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection ascertained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

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The widespread and extensive use of pesticides in European crop production to reduce losses from weeds, diseases, and insects may have serious consequences on the ecosystem and human health. This study aimed to identify 20 active substances of high health risk, based on their detection frequency within and across the environmental matrices (soil, crop, water, and sediment) and to identify their associated hazardous effects. A sampling campaign was conducted across 10 case study sites in Europe and 1 in Argentina and included conventional and organic farming systems.

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Objectives: We investigated associations between bioaerosol exposures and work-shift changes in lung function and inflammatory markers among recycling workers.

Methods: Inhalable dust was measured with personal samplers and analyzed for endotoxin, bacteria, and fungi (incubated at 25 °C and 37 °C) levels. Lung function (FEV1, FVC) was measured before and after work-shifts and serum concentrations of inflammatory markers (CRP, SAA, CC16, IL1B, IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6, IL8, IL10, IL13, and TNF) after the shift.

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An individual's likelihood of developing non-communicable diseases is often influenced by the types, intensities and duration of exposures at work. Job exposure matrices provide exposure estimates associated with different occupations. However, due to their time-consuming expert curation process, job exposure matrices currently cover only a subset of possible workplace exposures and may not be regularly updated.

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The presence of pesticide residues in waterbed sediments poses a significant concern for aquatic ecosystems' health. This study examined pesticide contamination in sediments of 38 water bodies, embedded in agricultural-dominated regions, across eight European countries. Three indicators were targeted: occurrence, type, and concentrations of multiple pesticide residues in sediments.

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Aim: Heritability of cough has not yet been studied. We aimed to evaluate if individuals with cough are more likely to have offspring who develop cough, and if these associations differ by type of cough (productive/nonproductive).

Methods: The RHINESSA Generation Study (Respiratory Health In Northern Europe, Spain and Australia) includes 7155 parents (initially aged 30-54) answering detailed questionnaires in 2000 and 2010, and 8176 offspring ≥20 years answering similar questionnaires in 2012-2019.

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Objectives: To investigate the association of early snus use initiation (≤15 years of age) with asthma and asthma symptoms.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort.

Setting: Study centres in Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Estonia, from 2016 to 2019.

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The widespread and excessive use of pesticides in modern agricultural practices has caused pesticide contamination of the environment, animals, and humans, with confirmed serious health consequences. This study aimed to identify the 20 most critical substances based on an analysis of detection frequency (DF) and median concentrations (MC) across environmental and biological matrices. A sampling campaign was conducted across 10 case study sites in Europe and 1 in Argentina, each encompassing conventional and organic farming systems.

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Purpose: Permanent night workers conceivably show better adaptation of circadian rhythms to night work than shift workers and therefore better possibilities of obtaining sufficient sleep of good quality after night shifts. We investigated the effect of night shifts including number of consecutive shifts on sleep among self-selected permanent night workers, and studied if the effect of night shifts differed between morning and evening types and compared with 3-shift workers.

Methods: The study population included 90 permanent night workers followed for 14 days (warehouse workers, 1228 observation days, 80% males).

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Article Synopsis
  • Respirable crystalline silica is linked to not only silicosis but also idiopathic interstitial pneumonias and pulmonary sarcoidosis, highlighting the health risks for exposed workers.
  • The study followed the Danish working population from 1977 to 2015, estimating silica exposure using a job exposure matrix and identifying cases through a national patient register.
  • Results indicated a significant increase in disease incidence with higher silica exposure, suggesting a need for more comprehensive analysis to confirm these findings and address potential misclassification issues.
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Background: Prolonged exposure to air pollution has been linked to adverse respiratory health, yet the evidence concerning its association with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is inconsistent. The evidence of a greenness effect on chronic respiratory diseases is limited.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM and PM), black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO), ozone (O) and greenness (as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index - NDVI) and incidence of self-reported chronic bronchitis or COPD (CB/COPD).

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Article Synopsis
  • The Exposome Project aims to explore how various occupational exposures affect health, focusing on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) to set research priorities.
  • A narrative review was conducted to analyze occupational risk factors linked to six NCD groups, identifying over 200 exposures with varying levels of evidence regarding their health associations.
  • Key findings indicate that certain exposures like diesel engine exhaust have consistent links to lung cancer, while others require more research to better understand their impact on health.
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Background: Organic dust is associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and associations with other types of interstitial lung disease (ILD) have been suggested. We examined the association between occupational organic dust exposure and hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other ILDs in a cohort study.

Methods: The study population included all residents of Denmark born in 1956 or later with at least 1 year of gainful employment since 1976.

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Objectives: The association between asbestos exposure and asbestosis in high-exposed industrial cohorts is well-known, but there is a lack of knowledge about the exposure-response relationship for asbestosis in a general working population setting. We examined the exposure-response relationship between occupational asbestos exposure and asbestosis in asbestos-exposed workers of the Danish general working population.

Methods: We followed all asbestos-exposed workers from 1979 to 2015 and identified incident cases of asbestosis using the Danish National Patient Register.

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